Hide and Seek
by squishyrainbows
Summary: -ON HIATUS LIKE FALL OUT BOY-
1. Chapter 1

"Are you ready to go, Carmen?" Lauren burst into my room before the sun was even up.

"Dude, no one is going to be here until 9, calm down," I mumbled.

"Are you even packed?"

"Mostly."

"And by mostly you mean you still have a bag to pack so get up," She said, knowing me all too well. I blame it on the twin telepathy.

She flicked on the light, and I hide my face in the pillow, trying not to fall back asleep. Once the light wasn't blinding, I dragged myself out of my bed and down the hall to the empty bathroom. There I showered and grabbed the last minute items I needed for the trip.

I had been waiting for this trip all year. Me, my twin sister Lauren and our seven best friends were about to take a road trip across the country to celebrate our newly gained freedom from just graduating high school. We had been saving and planning this for almost a year now and it was finally being set into motion.

My excitement grew as I pulled on an orange tank top and jean short shorts before sitting down in front of my mirror and brushing my long dark hair out and adding hair product to tame the curls.

The early morning summer sun had already started to leak into my room and heat it up through the balcony window as I applied minimal makeup and then started throwing last second necessities and accessories into a bag.

By the time I had finished packing and triple checking, Lauren had come bouncing back into my room, dressed similarly in denim short shorts and a red tank top. If it wasn't for the fact that I died my hair a dark mahogany color, no one would be able to tell us apart.

"Are you ready?" She asked again.

"Yup," I nodded and grabbed both my bags, following her down the stairs. I dropped the bags at the front door next to Lauren's then ventured into the kitchen for breakfast before everyone started showing up.

"Do you girls have everything ready to go?" Our mom asked us as we helped ourselves to the pile of pancakes she had made.

"Mhmm," I mumbled while shoving food into my mouth and Lauren nodded.

"Remember, don't talk to strangers, or pick up any hitch hikers." She began to lecture.

I sighed dramatically, "Mom, really? We're 19; I think we know not to do anything extremely stupid."

"Plus, I don't think there'd be any room left in the van with all nine of us in it to pick up hitch hikers," Lauren joked.

Mom opened her mouth to say something when three people entered the kitchen. One of them was my best friend Cassie. We had been best friends since the third grade when she shared her play-doh with me and we threw it at all the people we didn't like. She was tall, thin and extremely tanned, partly because of her being Spanish and partly because she was one of those people who loved being outside. She had long, black, naturally straight hair that I would kill for instead of curls and dark brown eyes to match.

"Yes! We made it in time for breakfast!" Cassie said, pumping her fist in the air and looking at mom, "Do you mind?"

"Go ahead," She smiled.

I laughed then turned my attention to the other two people who had come in with Cassie. My heart fluttered at the sight of my boyfriend. James Tyler was one of the hottest guys at school and he was all mine. He stood at a towering 6'3 compared to my vertical challenge of 5'4, with dark hair with just the right amount of gel to spike it. His dark eyes were the color of melted chocolate and his smile was flawless. And don't even get me started about his body.

I skipped across the kitchen into his arms, giving him a slight peck on the lips since my mom was still in the kitchen.

"I wish I would be greeted like that," Steven complained.

"Aw is someone tired of being single?" I teased.

"Maybe you'll find some hot blonde bomb shell on the trip," Lauren said, putting her plate in the dishwasher.

"Or you could get it on with Lauren or Cassie in the back of the van," I joked.

"Nah, I think Lauren's got her heart set on finding some sun kissed country boy who can play two cords on a guitar," Cassie said.

"That I do," Lauren agreed.

Once Cassie was done pigging out we all headed out to the van that James had brought over. The nine of us has all pitched in to buy it just for this trip. It was one of those 15 passenger vans with almost no windows.

"How am I supposed to pick up chicks in a pedo van?" Steven asked.

"You could always walk," I grinned, tossing my bags into the back.

He stuck his tongue out at me as he climbed into the driver's side, taking the first driving shift.

"To Ashleigh's to pick her and Michelle up," Lauren answered, getting into the passenger's seat.

I took the very backseat with James and Cassie to make it easier for everyone else to get in. Steven pulled out of the drive way and headed in the direction of Ashleigh's house.

"How is this driving schedule supposed to work if only 6 of us have our licences?" Cassie asked.

"Uh, I guess Ashleigh, Chris and Pat will just have to pay a little extra for gas," I suggested.

The rest of the drive was quiet but the atmosphere was buzzed and excited.

Ashleigh and Michelle stood waiting on the front porch as Steven pulled up. They both toss their bags into the back and then got in. Ashleigh removed her designer sunglasses, putting them on the top of her head. Her light brown hair was pulled into a high pony tail but her side bangs still hung into her hazel eyes. She wore a simple summer dress with a cute floral pattern, opposed to the usual ugly ones most dresses had.

Michelle's short blonde hair that she had recently cut into a layered bob was still wet from her shower, dripping down and leaving wet spots in her t-shirt.

"I have the cell phone," She said before tossing it in the net that hung between Steven and Lauren that also held chips and other food for the road.

We had all agreed while planning this trip that we weren't going to bring cell phones or electronics other than a single cell phone to use in emergencies only. This trip was to enjoy our freedom, not drag useless drama from back home with us.

"Oh hey, since you aren't driving, do you mind pitching a little extra in for gas?" I asked Michelle.

"Not a problem," She smiled then pulled out a book.

Ten minutes later Steven pulled up in front of our final stop and Chris and Patrick got into the van.

"Aw yeah!" Chris cheered, "This trip is going to be amazing! I've got enough weed to last us the entire trip."

"Hell yes!" Steven grinned at the same time Lauren scoffed, "Did you really bring weed on this trip?"

"Of course," He nodded, "Why wouldn't I?"

Chris was your regular pot head but at first glance, you probably couldn't tell. He reminded me of a golden retriever with his shaggy blonde hair and blue eyes with that mischievous look in them.

"Alright! Let's get this show on the road!" James grinned as Steven drove towards the nearest exit out of the city.

I had a good feeling about this trip. What better way to kick off summer than to travel across the country with your best friends and boyfriend? What could go wrong?

-x-

Okay this chapter is lame but it'll get better I swear.

Without given too much away, I just want to point out that this is a horror/thriller story, so if you can't handle disturbing descriptions and details, then this story is not for you.

Also, as you can tell, this one isn't a bandom story/fan fic because I couldn't bring myself to write about killing my favorite band members. But I hope you enjoy it either way. Leave me feedback C:


	2. Chapter 2

Six hours on the road and it was safe to say I was really fucking bored. James had crawled over the backseat and had made himself comfortable enough to pass out. I was pretty sure Cassie, Ashleigh and Lauren were asleep too, and Michelle had her nose still stuck in a book.

"Are we going to stop tonight or just keep going?" Steven asked.

"I don't know," I shrugged, "I guess it depends on who is driving and how far away from our first stop we are."

"What is our first stop?" Chris asked.

"Marble Canyon," I answered.

"And it's still another twelve hours away." Steven informed us.

"But it's only three in the afternoon."

"But Ashleigh is driving next and she drives like a freaking grandma," Chris said.

"I can hear you," Ashleigh jumped in, "And I do not."

"We should at least stop at the next gas station," I said. "I have to pee so bad I'm going to explode."

"The person with the strongest bladder determines the pit stops," Chris grinned.

"Exactly," Steven agreed, turned to high five him.

"Keep your eyes on the road!" Michelle snapped while Steven corrected himself after swerving slightly.

"Calm down princess," Steven said, "I've been driving since I was 14, I got this."

"I will pee on you if we don't stop," I threatened him, then looked at Chris, "And you too."

"Alright, we are stopping," He gave in.

"Plus we need to switch drivers," I threw in.

We all lapsed into silence again for the twenty minute drive to the gas station. It was in the middle of nowhere with only two pumps. Before the van had even stopped I was opening the door and running to the bathroom. I took a deep breath before entering and rush to do my thing. I scrubbed my hand profusely, using more soap than necessary to avoid getting AIDS from the filth.

Once I was done, I exited the bathroom and went into the tiny shop to get a drink and hand sanitizer just to be safe.

"Where ya headed, little lady?" The old man at the register asked.

"Nowhere particular, just a road trip with friends" I smiled politely, not liking the vibe this man gave off.

"Ah, well you best not be stopping anywhere unfamiliar, ya hear? There are strange people around and ya wouldn't want anything bad to happen, now would ya?" He babbled while handing me the bag.

I nodded and tried to smile again before turning around. It took all my self-control to not run out of the store and jump into the van. Something about that old man just didn't sit right with me. He was one of those people that gave off the creepy vibe.

"You good?" James asked me as a shuddered spread throughout my body.

I looked out the window and almost jumped out of my skin when the man was looking back at me through the shop window. It was like he could see right through the overly tinted glass and straight into me. But that wasn't possible was it?

"Yeah," I nodded, tearing my eyes away from the man and focusing on James. I faked a yawn and leaned against him, trying to find comfort in his embrace.

I dozed off for a bit, and woke just as the sun was setting and Cassie was driving. I watched the sun sink behind the horizon in a blaze of orange and red, making the sky look like it was on fire. I could feel the temperature dropping with the sun, but it didn't drop enough to make it cold, just bearable. As the last of the sun disappeared, it seemed that the darkness of the sky was slowly swallowing the world.

"This trip is totally going to fuck our sleeping patterns," Patrick said, looking completely alert.

"Oh well," I shrugged, "We'll just have to tweak the drive schedule to who's awake and not going to run us off the road."

"Some of us will run off the road whether they're tired or not," Chris joked.

"If that's another stab at my driving I swear," Ashleigh half glared at him.

"Aw, babe, you know it wasn't," He said, kissing the top of her head. Her annoyance with him visibly melted away.

The rest of the drive through the night was peaceful and quiet. Everyone was either sleeping or too lazy to start or carry a conversation. I was lying on top of James while he slept, my head rising and falling with his chest as he breathed.

I would be completely content if the rest of the trip went like this.

-x-

When I woke up again we were in Marble Canyon. It wasn't a huge city, but it wasn't a hick town either.

"Good, you're awake," James smiled at me. Somehow we had managed to completely roll over so he was now on top of me. He kissed me before pulling back, "We're gonna grab some breakfast."

I sat up and ran my hand through my hair, trying to make it look acceptable for going into public. I climbed over the seat and crawled over to my bag, pulling out a clean tank top, deciding that my shorts were clean enough to wear for another night.

"Want some help changing?" James asked grinning over the seat at me.

I stuck my tongue out at him and pulled my shirt off.

"Don't stick it out unless you intend to use it."

I pulled the clean shirt on then crawled back over to him, "I fully intend to use it," I said before kissing him. If it wasn't for the fact that we were in a van full of people, we probably would've taken it further.

"Alright love birds. Let's go eat," Steven said, ushering us out of the vehicle.

"You're just jealous because you're single," I teased.

Out of the nine of us, only him, Cassie and Lauren were single. Patrick and Michelle had been dating since freshman year, and were the couple everyone thought were going to get married. Chris and Ashleigh had only recently gotten together but Ashleigh was one of the few girls who could handle him, because he got to be quite the handful sometimes. James and I had been together since junior year. It surprised people to know we had been together that long since he had the player reputation and was labeled a cheater, but nope, he had been nothing but faithful to me, proving everyone wrong.

We all headed into the small diner that apparently Lauren had picked out and entered.

"How many?" The hostess asked, looking at us cautiously. We may have given off the look and vibe that we were a rowdy group, and we actually were, but it was way too early for any of us to be obnoxious.

"Nine," I answered. She grabbed menus and led us to a circular booth with just enough room for all of us to squeeze into. We tried to keep our order as simple as possible by all ordering coffee except for Michelle who got tea instead.

"Always got to be the odd one out hey?" Chris said to her and she rolled her eyes, but wasn't able to hold back her grin.

I was delighted half an hour later when our food finally came. I loaded up my pancakes with syrup, pleased that I got them two mornings in a row. We ate semi quietly with only a few outbursts of yelling and food being thrown. I think it was the most civil we had ever acted in public in a while.

Once we were done eating, we went back to the van and continued our journey. It was James' turn to drive so I sat up front with him, our fingers intertwined between the seats.

The longer we drove the more bored I got. The scenery was bland and boring and the van was dead silent.

"I thought this was supposed to be fun," I complained loudly.

"And how do you propose we make it fun?" Chris asked.

"I know one of you brought your I-pod so cough it up."

Michelle reached into her bad and tossed me her I-pod. I plugged it into the doc hooked up to the stereo and picked an artist. We all disagreed on so many things, but All Time Low being a great band with great music was something we all agreed on. The Party Scene filled the van and we finally and a pulse going.

Another 300 km down the highway, we stopped again and I took my turn to drive. I wasn't able to admire the sunset this time; instead I had to focus on not killing us while driving in the dark. It was one of my least favorite things to do.

James ended up moving to the back of the van and Cassie took his place, holding the map and telling me which way to go.

By the time it was completely dark outside, and we had been driving for at least an hour, Cassie looked at me, "Uh, oops."

"What?" I asked.

"Remember when I told you to take a left then and right? Yeah, it was supposed to be a left then another left then a right." She said quietly.

I sighed deeply, and slowed down, pulling a quick U-turn in the middle of the highway and headed back in the direction we came.

"This turn?" I asked as we approached an intersection.

"Yeah, I think so. Turn left."

I complied and followed the road. Nothing looked any more familiar than it had before.

"Are you sure dude?" I asked her, slowing down to a stop.

"Why are we stopping?" Ashleigh asked, popping her head between us.

"Because I think we're lost."


	3. Chapter 3

"Good going Carmen," Chris commented.

"It was bound to happen eventually," Michelle said.

"What're we going to do?" Ashleigh asked.

Everyone started talking at once, not a single idea getting across clearly.

"Shut up!" I yelled, silencing everyone. "Here's what we're going to do. We're going to drive to the nearest town, sleep in a parking lot until morning, then get back on track."

"You make it sound so simple," Ashleigh said.

"Because it is," I told her before starting to drive again. A few miles down the road, the headlights of the van flashed across a sign telling us that there was a small town 5 miles away. I sped up slightly, wanting to get there as quickly as possible so I could sleep.

The town came into sight a few minutes later and I sighed in relief. I followed a winding road through the small town until I saw a gas station with no lights on.

"Here's good enough," I stated parking the van as far out of sight as I could.

"Anyone else get a creepy feeling from this place suddenly?" Chris asked.

"No," I lied just so he'd drop it. In all honesty I had a growing strange feeling since we got lost.

"Are you sure because—"

"If it makes you stop complaining, I'll even stay up and keep watch." Pat said, "I slept all day so it's not like I'd be able to sleep anyway."

Satisfied with the late night watchmen, Chris got out of the seat and went to the back of the van where Lauren was already passed out. Slowly everyone began to fall asleep. Soft snores and murmurs filled the van making the outside world less scary. I couldn't fall asleep though. Not with the feeling that something bad was going to happen, filling my stomach like a balloon. There was something that just didn't feel right about this town, even though we'd only been here for twenty minutes not even. I moved closer to James, like an automatic instinct when I was afraid.

I fell into a light, fitful sleep that was soon interrupted by a knocking on the window of the van. Chris jumped a mile in the air while Lauren let out a short shriek. For a second, no one knew what to do. James was firs to recover from the shock, jumping up and sliding open the door.

Standing incredibly close to the van was a guy that looked a few years older than us, in his early twenties. He has sun bleach hair and darkened skin. His blue eyes were hard to read, like there was a concrete wall trying to keep secrets in and outsiders out. He held himself with confidence, standing tall, almost the same height as James, but he had more muscle.

I knew the second Lauren laid eyes on him she was going to find any reason to stay because this was the kind of guy she was looking for.

"How can I help ya?" James asked.

"I think that question should be directed at you," The guy said.

"We got lost and this was the closet town we could find to crash in," I explained, trying to hide the nervous sweat I had broken into.

The guy nodded stiffly, blue eyes washing over me like a tidal wave.

"I'm James," he said abruptly, "That's my girlfriend Carmen. And that's Chris, Patrick, Ashleigh, Michelle, Cassie and Lauren." He pointed to each one of us as he said our name. "What's your name?"

"Greg," He grunted. "I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to tell you to get out of this town."

Cassie opened her mouth, a question ready to fall out when I cut her off, "Okay. Just let us use the bathroom and get some gas and we'll be gone within half an hour."

This guy was someone I didn't want to anger. He gave off that same unsettling vibe that the old man at the gas station did, but there was something else – something far more morbid and terrifying.

He studied me for another minute before turning and stalking off towards a blue pickup truck.

"What the hell was that?" Chris asked.

"He was gorgeous!" Lauren grinned.

"Did anyone else get a creepy feeling?" I asked. Pat, Chris and Michelle all nodded.

"Can we just leave now?" Ashleigh said in a small voice.

James and I headed towards the gas station while Steven filled the gas tank up. I browsed through the shelves of junk food, my stomach flopping, craving something other than chips and candy. I settled on beef jerky. The girl at the counter was wide eyed and silent, looking almost terrified of me. They must not get many outsiders.

Ten minutes later we were all piled into the van, ready to go. Cassie took the wheel, turning the key in the ignition. It sputtered and roared, but wouldn't turn over. She stopped and waited five seconds before trying again. Still nothing. She tried one last time before slamming her hand against the steering wheel in annoyance.

James opened the door as she popped the hood for him.

"What's wrong?" I asked, sticking my head out the window.

"Well, the engines flooded and we're missing a spark plug," He said, frustration clear in his voice. I sighed. Great, this is exactly what we need.

"What are we going to do?" Lauren asked.

I looked around the tiny parking lot, looking for a solution, when a blue pickup truck pulled in and I felt my stomach drop.

"You're still here," Greg stated, getting out of the truck.

"Yeah, we were about to leave but we're kinda having engine troubles now. Is there a mechanic here?" James said.

"Only me," He said.

"Okay. Well, do you mind helping us out? The faster we get this fixed the fast we can get out of here. We'll even pay you extra."

Greg silently stared at us, taking a good look at each one of us.

"I'll help."

I let out the breath I was holding in as he opened the back door to his truck. He pulled out a tool box but before he could shut the door, I glanced inside the truck and what I saw nearly made my heart stop.

"Let's go for a walk," I suggested to Cassie and Lauren. Cassie nodded, getting out of the van.

"I think I'd rather stay here," Lauren said, not taking her eyes of off Greg. I walked over to James.

"I'm going to go explore the town," I told him quietly.

"Stay safe," He said in an equally quiet voice. "Take Pat or Steven with you."

I nodded and quickly kissed him on the lips before turning to Patrick. "Wanna take a walk with me."

I gave him a pleading look, causing him to give in. The three of us left the group and headed down the street.

The town was deserted. There were no kids running around, no one walking to the store or outside enjoying the weather. It was like a ghost town. But yet, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

We got to the main part of town, where a few people were standing around talking, but immediately stopped when they saw us and stared us down until we passed.

We followed the road until we came to an open field with a tiny, rusty park that looked like no one had been here in years. I took a seat on the swing set, hoping that it wouldn't break under my weight.

"Dude, everyone here is so fucking pale," Cassie said quietly, even though no one was around.

"And they're all so quiet," Patrick added.

"It's so fucking creepy." Cassie said.

"This place is just creepy," I said, "Even in the daylight. I can't shake the weird feeling it gives me."

"Same," Patrick agreed.

"I can't wait to get out of here." Cassie nodded.

We stayed at the park for a few minutes longer until we decided it was best to be with the group instead of wandering Creeps Ville alone.

The group of people in the town square were gone. Where did all these people hideout? I was starting to think they were all vampires and only came out at night. They were pale enough to pass as the living undead.

Once we were back at the gas station, the waiting began and boredom set in. Patrick and Chris threw the football we had brought back and forth as meager entertainment that didn't last long. Lauren and Ashleigh pulled out lawn chairs we had also brought for some reason and took the chance to perfect their tans. I bounced between pacing back and forth, watching Greg and James work on the engine and sighing. Why was this taking so long?

My irritating and anxiety grew as the sun start to sink behind the hills that surrounded the town.

"How much longer is this going to take?" I asked Greg politely.

He stepped back from the engine, wiping his hands on a rag that hung from his belt.

"It looks like it could take another day," He mumbled.

Fuck. I really didn't want to spend another night in this place. I sighed; this wasn't supposed to be happening.

"Is there a hotel or something we could stay in?" Lauren asked.

"My dad owns the local hotel," Greg answered. It surprised me they even had one with the lack of people they attracted.

"Where is it?" I asked.

"Just outside the town."

"How long of a walk?"

"Far. I'll drive you in my truck." He said, leaving no room for anyone to argue, not that any of us wanted to. We grabbed our bags from the back of the van, locking it so that none of the crazy residents could take off with it, not that they could anyway.

Before anyone could get into his truck, Greg hid the objects that had caused my blood to run cold.

"Five of you will have to ride in the box of the truck."

I was the first one to volunteer. I climbed over the edge and sat down, leaning against the back window. James joined me, which was extremely comforting, along with Cassie, Patrick and Chris. Michelle, Ashleigh and Steven took the backseat while Lauren sat next to Greg. I was worried that she was going to get attached to him.

The ride there was bumpy and I swear he was aiming for every pothole in the road. A while later we pulled up in front of a really crappy looking hotel that looked more like a Victorian mansion than a hotel.

"This is a hotel?" Ashleigh asked, voicing my thoughts.

"We don't get many visitors," was all Greg said.

I had mixed feelings about this place as we followed him up the porch steps and into the house while I wondered what this night had in story for us.

-x-

Alright, boring details out of the way, things are about to pick up really quickly but I get the feel you guys aren't into this that much.


	4. Chapter 4

We followed Greg into the slowly decaying house. It may have not been a hotel but it was definitely big enough to be one. The house was filled with 1950's décor and dust.

"Are you sure people live here?" Ashleigh asked, observing the living that looked like it hadn't of been entered in years.

"We spend most of our time in the basement and kitchen," Grumbled Greg as he led us down a narrow hallway into a brightly lit kitchen.

"What're these people doing here?" An old man who was sitting at the table in the far corner asked. He reminded me of the crypt keeper and was probably close in age to him. Like everyone else we had come across in this town, he oozed eeriness.

"They got lost and are now having car trouble," Greg explained shortly. He wasn't one for words it seemed, just grunts here and there.

He and the old man shared a knowing look that no one else in the room understood before Greg nodded while the man grinned, causing my blood to run cold.

"Well, I hope you make suitable accommodations for our guests for their …short duration."

Greg nodded once and led us out of the kitchen.

"Uh, who was that?" I blurted.

"My father," he answered in a tone like it should be the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh."

The only resemblance they had was the unpleasantness about them. I guess it was in inherited trait. Greg led us up the huge wooden staircase to the second floor. At the top it branched off into two hallways. One hallway had five doors while the other only had four.

"Unfortunately, we only have seven rooms."

How he saw this as a bad thing I was quite sure. He pointed to a door halfway down the right hallway, "That's the bathroom," he then turned and pointed at the very end of the left hallway, "and that room if forbidden, along with the basement." With that he abruptly turned and left us to sort out who was rooming with whom.

"Now I know none of us really want to sleep alone," James said in a hushed voice, "but some of us will have to."

"Why don't couples sleep with each other?" Ashleigh suggested.

"What about the three single people? That's not fair," Steven said.

"Then what do you suggest?" James asked.

"We draw numbers," He said, taking off his hat.

I sighed impatiently as he wrote the numbers one to seven twice then ripped them up into little squares and finally folding them and putting them in the hat. We each drew a piece of paper and opened them.

"Alright, who got one?" Steven asked. James and Ashleigh raised their hands. Steven pointed to the nearest door, "That one."

He followed the same pattern going through the rest of the numbers. I had drawn five and so did Michelle. I would've felt safer rooming with a guy, but at least I wasn't alone like everyone else.

"What if that Greg guy turns out to be a psychotic serial killer and comes for me first?" She whined, half kidding.

"What're the odds of that actually happening?" I said skeptically, picking my bag up and followed Michelle into our room.

"This place is still creepy as fuck though," Michelle commented. I nodded in agreement as I crawled into the queen sized bed that smelt musty and damp. "You're not changing?"

I shook my head, "It'll be easier in the morning."

She stopped pulling pajama bottoms out of her bag, contemplating my point. "Good idea," she said, zipping the bag back up and getting into the other side.

I don't know how I managed it but somehow I was able to fall asleep almost instantly. Too bad I was woken up by persistent knocking. I rolled out of the bed and stumbled to the door.

"What?" I mumbled, opening it to find James, Chris and Lauren.

"When did Michelle leave?" James asked looking over my shoulder

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Did you not notice the person sleeping next to you just decided to up and leave?" Chris said.

I spun around and flipped on the light. The bed was completely empty.

"Where'd she go?"

Everyone looked around confused.

"Why are you guys here anyway?"

"We wanted food," Chris started.

"And James wouldn't go unless you came too," Lauren finished.

"But now we have a case of a missing person so food is going to have to wait," James added.

I sighed and turned the light off, stepping out of the room. "Well she couldn't have gone far."

The four of us slowly crept down the stairs, trying not to fall or make too much noise. We followed the hall into the dimly lit kitchen that was empty.

"Well where else could she have gone?" I asked. "It's not like this place has very many options."

"Maybe she went to sleep with Patrick," Lauren suggested.

"You couldn't have suggested that while we were still upstairs?" James sighed.

"It just occurred to me." She shrugged. We turned to leave the kitchen when something caught my eye. There was a shimmer of light coming from underneath a door on the opposite side of the kitchen. Without thinking I walked over to it and opened the door.

"Carmen!" Lauren whispered viciously, "What the fuck are you doing?"

I ignored her and went down a couple steps, knowing that this led to the basement and apparently it was forbidden. I paused and listened, trying to see if anyone was down there when and ear piercing shriek made me jump and almost fall down the stairs.

"The fuck was that?" Chris asked as I closed the door. Another scream came, sounding like it was coming from upstairs. Forgetting to be quiet we followed James out of the kitchen and up the stairs. We found Ashleigh, Cassie and Patrick gathered around an open door.

"What's going on?" I asked. Cassie turned around, her face pale. I realized that this was the door Greg said was off limits.

Patrick moved out of the way so we could see what was in it. Another chill swept over me as I glanced around the small space. It was like something out of a torture chamber, or the movie Hostel. Knives of all shapes and sizes hung from the walls, blades and smaller tools were spread out across a table. The thing that caught my attention the most was the giant chain saw that hung on the opposite wall.

"I think we should get out of here," Cassie whispered.

"And how do you propose we get back to town? And even then, what are we supposed to do there?" James asked.

"Maybe there's a logical explanation to this," I said.

"Like what?" Ashleigh asked.

"Maybe he's a hunter or a butcher."

"Plus, we can't leave anyway," Chris said.

"Why not?" Cassie demanded.

"Because we can't find Michelle," I answered.

"What happened to her?" Patrick asked.

"We don't know," Chris said.

"Alright, well, let's wake Steven up and go find her and then figure something out," James said. We all shuffled over to the room that Steven had taken up alone.

I knocked loudly, "Steven, dude, wake up. It's important." There was no answer. I knocked again. "Seriously, Steven, answer the door or we're all coming in."

There was still no answer. I sighed and threw the door open, flicking on the lights. Once my eyes adjusted to the bright light and focus, it took all I had not to scream.


	5. Chapter 5

The sight in front of me made me want to hurl. There was so much blood. It stained the sheets, the pillows, the walls and was slowly dripping onto the floor, creating a dark puddle. Steven lay motionless, starting up at the ceiling with his mouth slightly ajar. I couldn't tell what his injuries were like from where I was standing.

"I-is he dead?" Cassie whispered.

No one answered or moved. I took a deep breath before slowly creeping forward, taking baby steps until I got to the edge of the bed, careful to avoid the puddle of blood. I could now see the deeps cuts up and down his body ranging from scratches to one giant cut from his throat to bellybutton. He had obviously put up a fight. His throat had also been slit.

"He's definitely dead," I said, turning away from the body as chaos broke out.

"We need to get the fuck out of here."

"Who did this?"

"Where's Michelle?"

"How're we going to get home?"

"Should we call the police?"

Everyone was shouting and crying until I couldn't stand it anymore.

"GUYS!" I yelled, making them all turn their attention towards me. "We can't just stand here and panic."

I ushered them out of the room and closed the door behind me, the image of Steven's body forever imprinted in my memory. I led them into my room and closed the door.

"What're we going to do?" Ashleigh sniffed.

"Leave," Chris declared.

"We can't leave," I stated.

"Our best friend was just murdered and you're telling us we can't leave?" Ashleigh screeched.

"We have to find Michelle first, unless you want her to end up like Steven." It was harsh but it made her listen.

"Where the hell could she be?" Cassie asked.

"I think she's in the basement. It's the only logical place left to look."

"Well who's going to go look?"

Everyone looked around at each other not wanting to leave the safety of the bedroom.

"I will," I volunteered. "Someone has to be brave, I guess."

On the inside I was terrified. This road trip was such a bad idea. I went to leave the room when someone stopped me.

"I'll come with you," James offered. I immediately felt better about not having to go alone.

"I will too," Ashleigh said, following us out of the room. We slowly walked down the hallway, stepping lightly to avoid making the floor creak. We paused at the top of the stairs before tip toeing along the edge. Once we were at the bottom my heart started to pound. We got to the basement door in the kitchen when it really hit me what was going on. A wave of dizziness washed over me as I opened the door and took the first step.

The dim light coming from the basement guided us down the stairs.

"Now what?" James whispered.

"We have to split up." The basement looked like a mini warehouse basement with hallways branching off in different directions

"Are you fucking crazy?" Ashleigh asked.

"No, but it's the logical thing to do." I told her. "You take the far left hallway, I'll take the middle and James, you take the far right.

Without waiting for them to answer I started down the hall. It was completely dark so I used the wall as a guide. I felt my hand slide over something with a different texture than the wall. It took me a second to realize it was a door. I felt for the door knob and turned it. Surprisingly it opened easily. I felt the wall for a light switch while kicking myself for coming up with the no electronics rule so I could have a light source. I finally felt a switch and flicked it on. I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting a simple storage closet. I backed out of the closet, closing the door and checking the way I came to see if anyone was following me.

I continued down the hall until it turned abruptly and I came to another door. This time, it was locked. I sighed and pulled the bobby pin out of my hair, thankful I knew what I was doing from all the times I had picked Lauren's lock at home. I jiggled the handle a few times and it finally opened. I slipped the bobby pin into my pocket, knowing that it would probably be useful in the future. I stepped inside and flicked on the light just like last time.

I gasped when I saw Michelle, in nothing but her underwear strapped to a vertical metal table. She looked up at me terrified until recognition kicked in.

"What're you doing here?" She asked.

"I think the better question is what are you doing in here?" I said, quickly walking up to her and inspecting the straps that held her in place. "What happened?"

"I went to the bathroom when someone grabbed me and blind folded me. I thought it was a prank Steven or Chris was pulling until he started dragging me down the stairs and into here." She explained, tears forming.

"Who?"

"You need to go," She said abruptly. "He's a complete psycho. Get everyone else out of here."

"What are you –" I started but stopped when I heard a thump.

"I think he's coming. Oh God. Carmen, hide!"

I let go of the strap and ran over to the corner filled with boxes and containers. I didn't want to know what was in them. I crouched down, arranging the boxes so I was hidden but could still see. My heart stopped when the door flew open and someone came in.

I couldn't make their face out, but they wore a blood stained apron and held a butcher knife in one hand. By the frame I could tell the person was male.

Michelle started whimpering as he set the knife down on the table and picked up a piece of fabric. He roughly pulled her head forward, wrapping it around her mouth. He then turned and grabbed something off the table. I sat there frozen in fear as he took a small knife and ran it down her stomach. Michelle let out a muffled scream while blood trickled down her body. He replaced the small knife with what looked like a scalpel. This time he dragged it down from the top of her stomach right to her waist. Tears streamed down her face while he cut vertically next.

I felt bile rising in my mouth but forced it back down and closed my eyes. I waited until Michelle's muffled screams died down into whimpers and stopped all together. I watched as the psychotic murder cleaned his tools with great care trying not to burst into tears or vomit everywhere. After what seemed like an hour, he finally finished and left the room, slamming the door behind him. I counted to thirty silently then climbed out from behind the boxes.

I knew it would be useless, but I checked Michelle's pulse to see if she was still alive. He had done a number on her. On top of cutting her stomach open in various ways, one of her fingers had been cut off and her leg partly skinned. I turned away from the gruesome sight and headed to the door. I assumed the killer was gone by now as I quickly followed the hallway back the way I came.

I jumped when I heard a thump followed by a scream that was abruptly cut off.


End file.
